Marriage improves cancer survival rate by 20% and can be BETTER than chemotherapy when it comes to battling the disease

Marriage has many benefits when it comes to raising children, buying a house, and having a hand to hold during life's toughest times.

But new research suggests that, for some cancer patients, having a husband or wife could be more beneficial than chemotherapy.

New research from Harvard University shows that, for 10 common kinds of cancer, being married means patients are 20 per cent less likely to die from the disease.

Academics found that people who were married were more likely to get diagnosed early, before tumours could spread, and more likely to have life-saving surgery.

Amazingly in some forms of cancer, including breast and colon, the benefits of being married outweighed the stated benefit of chemotherapy. www.mannastores.com

The study, of 750,000 people including those with lung and prostate cancer, also found that the effect was larger in men than in women.

Unmarried cancer patients - including those who were widowed - were 17 per cent more likely to have metastatic cancer, which spreads beyond its original site and were 53 per cent less likely to receive the appropriate therapy.

Dr Ayal Aizer, chief resident of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Programme, said: 'Our data suggests that marriage can have a significant health impact for patients with cancer, and this was consistent among every cancer that we reviewed.

'We suspect that social support from spouses is what's driving the striking improvement in survival. 

'Spouses often accompany patients on their visits and make sure they understand the recommendations and complete all their treatments.'

The study looked at 750,000 patients with the 10 most common cancers including breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer

However, the finding shouldn't be seen as a downer for singletons as Dr. Paul Nguyen, the study's senior author, said that the findings just showed the importance of strong social support, which could also be provided by family or close friends.

He said: 'We don't just see our study as an affirmation of marriage.

'Rather it should send a message to anyone who has a friend or a loved one with cancer, by being there for that person and helping them navigate their appointments and make it through all their treatments, you can make a real difference to that person's outcome.

'As oncologists, we need to be aware of our patients' available social supports and encourage them to seek and accept support from friends and family during this potentially difficult time.'

While this isn't the first study to identify a positive link between cancer survival rates and marriage, it is the first to link to the 10 most common cancers.

However researchers were unable to say exactly why marriage is so beneficial. One possibility is that patients with a spouse are more likely to undergo health screening which would diagnose cancer at an earlier stage.

Married people are then more likely to follow through with treatments and appointments, while widowed or single people may struggle to keep up with tough medical routines.

Dr. Victor Vogel, the director of breast medical oncology and research at Geisenger Health System, agrees, calling the study 'very proactive.'

He added: 'We need to help our patients find social support throughout their illness.

'If there isn’t a spouse to do that then we have to find other systems and networks to make that happen.'

LONELY UK - MARRIAGE DECLINE AMONG THE MIDDLE-AGED

Since the mid 1990s there has been a sharp rise in the number of people living alone, especially among the middle-aged.

In 2012 there were 2.4million people aged 45-62 living alone without a spouse or partner, 800,000 more than in 1996, with the largest increase being in men.

In total, 7.6million adults were living by themselves in 2012.

Marriage rates in the UK have been in steady decline for decades, with less people getting married in 2011 than in any year since records began in 1862.

But today's findings aren't all bad news for singletons, as the study showed that strong social support was what mattered most when it came to beating cancer.

This could come from close family, friends, or a cancer support group.

The key to surviving cancer is still an early diagnosis, coupled with seeing the treatment through.